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The Bats fabric-softened the Tides on Tuesday, and it was the biggest names in the system doing the heavy lifting on the night. "Kool" Cody Reed got the start and was brilliant, hitting 96 mph with ease with his fastball while allowing just a single earned run in 5 IP that featured 6 Ks and 2 BBs. Jesse "No Evil, Hear No Evil" Winker broke the seal on his dinger count as part of a monster 2 for 4, 2, run, 4 ribbie evening (that also featured a double), Jose "You'll Remember Me" Peraza had a 2 for 4 outing that included a stolen base and a pair of runs scored, and Seth "Metal" Mejias-Brean waved goodbye to the Mendoza Line with a 3 for 4 performance.
John "Traves" Lamb "Mockery" will be on the mound for Louisville in another rehab start tomorrow, as he and the rest of the Bats will travel to Durham to face the bulls. (Speaking of which, who has two thumbs and is flying to Raleigh tomorrow? THIS GUY.)
The Generals laid siege to Pensacola on Tuesday, banking that their foes' defenses would fail and a flanking maneuver would allow them to conquer the city and disrupt their supply lines.
And those pesky Generals were well schooled, by gum.
The Blue Wahoos committed 6 errors on the evening, and those led to 4 unearned runs that ultimately sank their battleship. Homer Bailey was on the mound for 5 of those miscues, which makes his rehab line a bit hard to really read into. He threw 78 pitches and maintained solid velocity, struck out 3, walked 2, and allowed 6 hits in his 4 IP, but the errors put him in tough spots and 5 runs crossed the plate against him (although only 1 was earned). Beau "MG" Amaral went 2 for 4 with a ribbie from the leadoff spot, Phillip "Red Corvette" Ervin doubled, scored, swiped a bag, and drove in a run, and both Brandon "A Cow Hide" Dixon and Joe "Garth" Hudson had 2-hit evenings, but that wasn't enough to overcome the aggressors and send them back from whence they came with their tails between their legs.
The 'Hoos will have an off-day tomorrow before heading to Birmingham to open a series. Sal "Parmesan" Romano will get the start when they return to action on Thursday.
All 5-3 scores weren't bad on the farm on Tuesday, as Daytona picked up their more advanced Florida brethren by flipping the scoreboard on the Threshers. Wyatt "Look What the Cat" Strahan did what Wyatt Strahan does, which is scatter a few hits, limit damage, and keep runs off the board despite low K numbers, tossing 6 innings of 8 hit, 2 ER ball (with 3 Ks). Brian O'Grady beefed a 2-run dinger and walked twice to pace the offense, Taylor "Hardly Even Knew Her" Sparks red-lipped and rosey-cheeked a solo donker of his own, and Jeff "Pro-Shave" Gelalich singled, walked thrice, and stole a bag.
"Terry and Tommy and" Tejay Antone will take his 1.69 ERA to the hill in Wednesday's tangle with Clearwater.
Franderlyn "Tear Down This Wall" Romero was the story in this one, as the 23 year-old righty sliced eyeballs like nobody's business throughout his outing. He struck out 12, walked none, and allowed just a single hit - a single - in 7.2 freak nasty innings. That gives him 29 Ks in 25.2 IP so far in 2016, and that just makes me feel all warm and hot chocolatey on the inside.
Narciso "Sea Shells Down by the Seashore" Crook walked and scored in this one, "Tool" Shed Long bonked a 2-run donker, doubled, walked, singled, and scored, and Brantley "Taco" Bell moved one step closer to The Shiva Trophy with a 3 for 4 outing of his own. Mitch Trees and Mitch Piatnik went 0 for 5 combined, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let a pair of Mitchs bat next to each other in a lineup with at least a hot danged shoutout.
Jake Johnson will look to make banana pancakes out of Kane County yet again when he gets the start against them on Wednesday.